Two Branches of Lucis
by Fenrir7Silfur
Summary: Basically, Cloud and Noctis are brothers, like Ardyn and Somnus were. Noctis doesn’t want the throne, but he’s the Chosen One. Cloud doesn’t want the throne; he just wants to protect the people closest to him. Together, Noct and Cloud set off with Ignis, Prompto, and Gladio to wed the raven-haired prince with the Oracle, Lady Lunafreya Nox Fleuret. More characters and pairings.


_Disclaimer: Don't own Final Fantasy XV, Cloud Strife, or any characters I may put in here._

"Too...hot..." a monotone voice said.

A British sounding man responded, "They don't call him the Infernian for nothing."

"Tch...he _did_ give us a warm welcome, huh?"

"C'mon. We gotta get past him."

"No. We have to take him down. There's no way he's gonna _let_ us in."

"Huh. Too true. Let's press on."

The five gentlemen charged forth toward the fiery one of the Six. One, a proud savior of a world of darkness. One, a gunslinger with a past of machinery. One, a blind chef with the skills of the assassin and the mage. One, a sworn shield to the king. One, a loyal brother with wolfy persona.

The Infernian raged forth his flame to drive them back, but they will not easily be deterred.

"Noct, hang in there buddy," the slinger patted his king of his flames. "Stay down. We'll keep him busy."

Regardless, King Noctis Lucis Caelum stood and limped forward.

"Noct, over here!"

Ignis Scientia called to his friend to duck down with him. "Hurry, before he strikes again!"

Gladiolus Amacitia grabbed the king and hauled him and Cloud Strife to cover as a group. Prompto Argentum hurried over too. "Get down!"

The Infernian raged for a few seconds. When the flames ceased. Prompto got up and charged. Cloud helped the fellow royal to his feet. Ignis gave Noctis a Hi-Elixir. "Here you go."

All five men stood as one. "Let's go!"

-

**Before The Fall**

Noctis Lucis Caelum stood in front of the throne of his father, King Regis Lucis Caelum. Noct was adorned in his fatigues that consisted of a black t-shirt, a black, leather, short-sleeved jacket, black cargo pants that stopped just past his knees, a black glove with no fingers that went as far as his forearm, on his left hand, and black boots with red soles.

His brother, Cloud Lucis Caelum—though he goes by his mother's maiden name that he was told before she past away, dubbing him Cloud Lucis Strife, or just Cloud Strife—stood to his left, wearing a black, knit, sleeveless sweater, beneath a short-sleeved jacket suitable for winter conditions, leather pants, black boots with red soles, worn on the outside of the leggings, two black gloves with wolf emblems on the cuffs that matched the wold emblem on the pauldron strapped to his left shoulder, one with a leather extension mirroring the length of Noctis' glove, only on his left side, and another wolf emblem as a piercing on his left ear. He had spiky blonde hair, starkly contrasting Noct's spiky black hair.

Prompto Argentum stood behind the two with the other men. He was blonde, clothed in a black shirt with no sleeves and a greenish vest with no buttons and a skull on the back. He wore two, matching gloves with no fingers, with a few wrist ornaments. Black pants could be found on him, with black boots with patches of white at the tops and red soles. Humbly, he stood to support his best friend.

Ignis Scientia sported a more formal attire, consisting of a purple button up shirt and a suit coat he kept unbuttoned. He wore white and black gloves with all his fingers, save for his thumbs, clothed in glove. He wore glasses and his hair and his face with an authoritative expression.

Gladiolus Amacitia stood with nothing on his torso, except for a necklace with an "X" shape and a black leather, short-sleeved jacket. He wore tattoos on his back and arms and a cloth of leather on his left hand. He wore black slacks and black shoes with red soles, his shoes matching Ignis'.

"The decreed hour is come," the king declared. He looked at his eldest son, Noctis. "Set forth with my blessing, Prince Noctis."

Noctis bowed his upper body. "Thank you..Your Majesty," he thanked his father awkwardly. _Doesn't this seem just a bit _too _formal._

"Take your leave, and go in the grace of the gods."

Noct stood upright once more. "Right." He turned around and exited the throne room. Cloud walked closely behind, assigned since childhood to remain at his side, like Gladio, but not as Shield. The neatly facialed man joked Cloud was more of a "Sword" than a Shield. The other three gasped at the brothers' abrupt exit, turned back to the ruler of their nation, bowed and left to follow their royal query.

"Did seem a little..off? To you?" Cloud asked Noctis.

He merely shrugged. "I'm used to it. Besides, it's not easy to say goodbye."

The blonde nodded in affirmation. "I know what you mean." He had to leave a close friend behind when he moved from the city of Insomnia, back to the Citadel, since he'd been kidnapped by the Nifelheim empire as a young boy and experimented on to be infused with the lifeblood of the world that they lived upon. As a child, he was injected with Mako and Jenova cells. He was almost infused with the power of Magitek, but he broke out before they could advance towards the next stage.

_Gods, I miss _her, Cloud thought to himself, thinking about the brunette with loving brown eyes and fair skin. He'd give anything to see her again. Granted, they'd seen each other more recently, being as he and his brother would set out with their retinue the following week.

Over that timespan, King Regis gave Noctis his custom classic car, the Regalia. Cloud was given a bike that he dubbed Fenrir to use alongside the four men, so they weren't all crammed into the car. Cor, the Immortal, had both vehicles prepped, and waiting for the five.

The others finally caught up to them. They were almost out of the Citadel, and onto the outside world. "Don't you have anything else to say before you both depart?" Ignis asked.

"Nope," they replied simultaneously.

"Well, princes will be princes," Prompto commented.

"So much for royal protocol," Ignis commented as well.

Gladio joined in. "Not like you had to make a formal address."

"Your Highness!" Drautos' voice called to the two royals from the entrance of the Citadel, with their father beginning to descend the stairs to converse with his two sons.

Noctis sighed. "What now?" He gestured that he and Cloud should go see what he wanted.

"I fear I have left too much unsaid," Regis addressed his doubts of himself.

Cloud shook his head. "There's nothing more _to _say."

The old man smiled. "You place a great burden on those that would bear with you."

Noct scoffed slightly, and said, "You're one to talk."

Regis looked to his younger son and their friends. "I ask not that you guide my wayward son. Merely that you remain at his side."

Though Cloud was always defiant to his royal status, he still accepted it. "Of course, Dad."

Ignis bowed to his ruler. "Indeed, Your Grace."

"We'll see the Princes to Altissia if it's the last thing we see," Gladiolus declared and bowed.

Prompto bowed and added, "Yeah, what he said."

"Hate to break this up, but Cor's got the motor running," Noctis informed the group. He began his descent back down the steps. "Drautos! He's in your hands!"

"And another thing." Regis spoke to Noct again. The raven-haired youth turned back around to face his father. "Do mind your manners around your charming bride-to-be," he practically begged the Prince.

Noctis bowed his head playfully. "Your Majesty, as well. Try to mind _yours _around our esteemed guests from Nifelheim." He was still sore after all these years for what they did to Cloud, but he knew the importance of the peace talks and the Treaty to end the war between Insomnia and Nifelheim.

"You have no need for concern."

Cloud grinned slightly. "Nor do you."

Regis looked relieved. "Take heed. Once you set forth, you cannot turn back."

"You think we would?" the raven-haired prince quipped.

The king merely smiled. "I need only know that you are ready to leave home behind."

Noctis spoke up. "Don't know about you, but I'm ready as I'll ever be."

Cloud nodded as if to say he was ready, too. The two turned to leave.

"Take care on the long road," Regis told them quickly, causing them to turn to him once more. He walked one more step down to stand slightly above them. "Wheresoever you go, the line of Lucis goes with you." He placed his cane against his leg and put one of his hands on his sons' shoulder each.

"Walk tall, my sons."

_A/N: I'll keep this brief. It's finals week. Haven't been able to work on my other fics. I wanted to get this prompt idea out. Hope you guys will like it. I will attempt to write more in the future and after exams. Bye._


End file.
